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Tree House Names New Executive Director

We are pleased to announce Raissa Allaire as Tree House Humane Society’s new Executive Director. She will be joining the organization effective Monday, May 21, 2018.

Raissa brings a wealth of experience in nonprofit leadership including various roles over the past 12 years at The Center for Economic Progress (CEP). The Center is an award-winning, mid‐sized organization focused on improving the financial lives of 20,000 families in 15 Illinois communities. Most recently, she served as the Chief Operating Officer, overseeing the agency’s administrative operations and direct services and serving as a member of the organization’s leadership team.

During her tenure at CEP, she was responsible for developing and leading the organization’s fundraising and re-branding strategies.

Prior to joining CEP in 2006, Raissa served as a vice president for a Chicago museum and developed and managed communications campaigns for major non-profit clients as an account executive for a top-ranking public relations firm. Raissa earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Humanities from the University of Chicago. In 2016, she was selected for the Allstate Foundation’s Greater Good Leadership Program, created in partnership with Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management to help leaders transform their organization, community, and the nonprofit sector through year-long coaching and academic instruction.

Raissa, her husband, and two sons live in Berwyn. In 2016, Raissa and her family adopted Sulley and his son Sal, a pair of orange tabbies rescued from a hoarding situation. Since then, the family has made it their personal mission to find ways (small and large) to advocate on behalf of homeless cats.

Looking forward to her new role, Raissa comments, “I’m honored for this opportunity to help realize a world where every cat is valued. I am excited about building on the many successes Tree House staff, Board, volunteers, and partners have achieved to date – saving thousands of lives, creating an innovative 21st century shelter, and providing valuable services to Chicago’s community cats.”

The Tree House Board and staff look forward to working with Raissa to expand our efforts to save sick, injured, stray, and feral cats.